I've always been taught that the katana was a sidearm and the modern forms of kenjutsu were maily products of the Tokugawa era, where there was much less wearing of armor and more dueling.

The typical katana would chip and bend if struck against armor, even the supposedly "big cutters" of the 14th and 15th centuries, like my shobu. I know I'd never use it on anything harder than green bamboo.

I learned the same thing. The weapon of choice Pre Tokugawa was the Yari.

I am not sure what year Jigen Ryu was created. But what you said makes sense.

That first one is one of the funniest things I've ever seen! What the hell was itg?

The side caption said it was to build up strength and spirit whilst practicing proper cuts. Proper cuts? I'm no swordsman... but wasnt that more "Woman with rolling pin experiencing massive PMS" than "Proper cutting"???

Pick up a bokken, go to Japan and challenge them. Then when you get out of the hospital tell us what you think.

that's not going to prove a damn thing about cutting technique - just that they know how to beat the **** out of him with a bokken. they've clearly got their bludgeoning skills down.

which is infinitely more useful than sword work, anyway.

If I remember I story of Musahi, that he couldn't cut your down, he just beat the hell out of you with a sword. So there are merits of just beating the **** out of someone with a razor sharp piece of metal.

They had proper cutting technique. If I can be allowed to speculate, they probably don't start out with suburi like that. They probably train in a much more restrained fashioned to learn the mechanics, and this type of training is added at a later date.

The mechanics of using the Japanese sword are such that a ferocious attack like that might be effective, if not at killing your opponent then forcing him to use his sword to parry or block the strikes. The Japanese sword cannot stand up to much edge-to-edge contact because of the way it is forged.

I tried to look at the first clip in all seriousness, but the second dude in the row... I mean, ****, he needs to learn how scream. His screaming reminded me of one of my sisters when she was 12. He needs to develop some deep bass or something :tongue6:

The Jigen-ryu was one of the schools practiced by Satsuma samurai and was thus briefly used to chop the crap out of Okinawans. It's a major influence on Okinawan martial arts, as post-occupation it was studied by Okinawa's military castes. Sokon Matsumura learned it and there's even an Okinawan folk dance called Jigen-ryu Bo-Odori, which is supposed to be derived from Satsuma military drill. So there is in fact a Jigen-ryu/karate connection of some kind.

You better have more than that to add if you're going to bring back a thread that's been dead for a year and a half.

Like what...? :5propelle Boobies? Free beer? :ohyea7qh:

Originally Posted by eyebeams

The Jigen-ryu was one of the schools practiced by Satsuma samurai and was thus briefly used to chop the crap out of Okinawans. It's a major influence on Okinawan martial arts, as post-occupation it was studied by Okinawa's military castes. Sokon Matsumura learned it and there's even an Okinawan folk dance called Jigen-ryu Bo-Odori, which is supposed to be derived from Satsuma military drill. So there is in fact a Jigen-ryu/karate connection of some kind.

Very interesting...
I like their way to do the kiai, but really, if they do that in training all the time,
I'd get crazy...